Mohave County miner., 1887-03-05
FATAL RAILROAD ACClDEaT
NEAB THE NEEDLES
-Four Mea Killed And Several Had.
Iy Wounded.

Iy Wounded.
On last Sunday morning our citizens
were Mortified with the news that terri
BILE accident had occurred to the east
bound passenger train the night before,
but nothing definite could be ascertained
nntil evening. At about p. m. the re-
mainder OF the ill-fated train reached
Kingman, and our reporter was enabled
TO gather the particulars Of the accident
from some Of the passengers who we're on
the train.
1t appears that the cast-bound passcn-
ger train which was due at the Needles ri
. 40 p. m. ON Saturday, had reached .
point about twenty miles west fthe Nee
dies when the train, turning . short curve,
ran into burnt bridge. The grade down
to the river il about rs feet to the mile,
and trains going east usually run 1t .
high rate Of speed. The moment that he
saw the bridge was gone the engineer
reversed his engine and put on his
air brakes, and TO his prompt action and
bravery in sticking TO his post in the pre-
sence Of almost certain death the passen-
gers on the rear cars owe their lives.
The burnt bridge was about sixty feet
long and crossed ravine abont twenty
feet deep. The engine struck the oppo-
site side Of the ravine, standing almost
straight up as though endsxvoring to
climb the bank. The tender fell in the
ravine behind ii, the baggage car ran
over the tender and landed on top Of the
engine followed by the express car. The
mail car was turned end over end three
or four times finally landing on the other
side Of the engine. The next car was an
ordinary passenger coach which fell into
the rayine, followed by Pullman coach,
half Of which fell on the passenger coach
while the other half stayed on the track.
By this time the rear cars had come 10 .
standstill, and the passengers hastily
alighted and heroicsily set 10 work 70 res
cue those who we're imprisoned
in the debris. The engineer, T..
J. Hodgden was 50 badly injured when
taken from the wreck that he died soon
afterwards, while the fireman escaped
unhurt. Mail Agent Il. l.. Pippin was
seriously injured internally and may not
recover. To add to the horror Of the scenS
a fire broke out In one Of the wrecked
cars few minutes after the accident, and
4, L. Gilbert, brakeman, WAS burned TO
death before he could be rescued. The
fire was caused by the explosion Of Ia lamp
in the mail car, and all the wrecked cars
were completely consumed. The passen-
gers in the two cars were all taken out by
cutting holes in the sides Of the cars, and
many Gf them were found TO be badly in
iured, the most serious being Dr.. NJ. J.
Chase, of Galesburg, H., bruised, about
the head; w. Marsh Of Quincy, ILL.,, leg
hurt; ]. L. Rathburn, Of San Francisco,
badly cut about the head. Nearly all Of
the other passengers were more or less
bruised.
Express messenger Thompson, although
badly injured, got out his teasure box,
containing nearly 100000, and quietly
sat on 1t with q double-barreled shot gun
in his hands, being under the impression
that the bridge had been burnt by train
robbers. Tx. Dickenson, the porter on
the Pullman, had one Of his legs 20 badly |
broken a. to necessitate smputation, as
was also the case with Mohave Indian.
In searching for the remains Of Brake
man Gilbert, the rescuing party discover
ed two more bodies, one Of which was
identified ~ an Indian, while the other
was supposed 10 be that Of . tramp who
was beating his way to Arizona. The in
jured we're all removed to the railroad
hotel at the Needles and attended by DR..
Livingston, the company's surgeon, and
everything possible ID being done for their
comfort.
Coroner Murphy held An inques. tho
following mosning and the jury rendered
. verdict exonerating the railroad compa.
ny from oil blame for the accident. The
loss 70 the company by this disaster will
probably reach S75,0o0.
Il